We’ve not received new version of PIB – Reps

House of Representatives on Thursday said it had not received the new version of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB.
Nigerian Pilot recalls that recently, the Senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki hinted that a different version of the PIB, which was put together by both chambers of the National Assembly, was almost ready and would be laid separately on the floors of both chambers for consideration.
Saraki revealed this while declaring open a two-day National Assembly Business Environment Roundtable, which kicked off at the National Assembly and drew participants from the executive, legislature and the private sector to seek workable solutions to the nation’s economic problems.
The government of former President Goodluck Jonathan sponsored the PIB after wide scale consultations with major stakeholders in the oil and gas sector and forwarded same to the National Assembly in 2012 for passage into law.
Unfortunately, despite the critical nature of the bill to the growth and development of the hydrocarbon sector, it was not possible for the 7th National Assembly to pass the bill into law.
The new National Assembly version of the bill, it was later gathered, is being sponsored by the leadership of both Houses, but it remains to be seen how the new bill will be laid before the two chambers of the National Assembly as promised by Saraki.
“The National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives are working very closely together. As part of this commitment we would all see when we lay down the Petroleum Industry Bill; you will see that the bill we are going to lay in each House is the same.
“We are going to lay the same version in the Senate and the House of Representatives because that is going to be the first time we are open to our words,” Saraki stated.
Saraki also expressed concern about the harsh economic environment in the country, regretting that most of the laws regulating the business environment were obsolete.